Services planned for Joe Willlhoit

May 3, 2013

Joe Willhoit, age 55 of Sargent, died April 30, 2013 as the result of a car/tractor accident east of Broken Bow.
Funeral services will be Saturday, May 4, 2013, at 10:30 AM at the Sargent High School Gymnasium in Sargent with Pastor Marty Robins officiating. Govier Brothers Mortuary of Broken Bow is in charge of arrangements. Memorials are suggested to the Joe Willhoit Memorial Fund, c/o 1st National Bank at Sargent, PO Box 130, Sargent, NE68874
. A guestbook can be signed at www. govierbrothers.com

Joe Arthur Willhoit was born Nov. 26, 1957, at Broken Bow to Elwin F. and Elizabeth L. (Exley) Willhoit. Joe lived in Round Valley until the family moved north of Sargent to the Blue Mound community. Joe attended Cummings Park School and then Sargent Public Schools graduating with the class of 1976. Joe lived with his sister after his mother’s passing and after graduation he lived with Allen and Margie Clark. He attended college at Mid Plains Community College earning a degree in heating and air conditioning.

Joe worked for A.J. Sheet Metal in North Platte for a number of years and then was an HVAC instructor at Mid Plains Community College. He spent several years in the Antarctic working at McMurdo Research Station. While there he toured Australia and New Zealand. Joe enjoyed traveling. He was an avid hunter, loved his farm and everything related to nature. He was an expert collector of antique Case tractors, expert carpenter, drawing house plans and a dreamer.

He stayed with his sister the last two and a half years while he was finishing his house on his farm.

Joe is survived by his sister, Donna Bentley of Sargent; nephew, Donald Bentley of Sargent; nieces, Julie Chalupa of Broken Bow and Gaylene (Jerod) Beck of Broken Bow; one brother, Gary (Cindy) Willhoit of Kearney; nieces, Rebecca Willhoit of California, Jenny Willhoit of New Jersey, Jessica Errniese of California; foster parents, Allen and Margie Clark of Sargent; foster brothers, Butch Clark of Broken Bow and Don (Kim) Clark of Sargent; foster sister, Trish (Gary) Rupp of North Platte; foster nephews, Kyle (Debra) Rupp of Broken Arrow, Okla. and Jacob Clark of Sargent; foster nieces, Kristina (Andrew) Spracklin of Kearney and Becca Clark of Sargent. He is also survived by many great-nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law Gaylord Bentley.